Congress: The Senate & The House

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🔮 GOP's next moves on abortion

Republicans are showing signs of tiptoeing back into the abortion debate after a series of losses at the ballot box.

• Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and his wife, Erin — a lawyer who worked on the Dobbs case that overturned Roe v. Wade — plan to spearhead a nonprofit to change hearts and minds on abortion. It's expected to launch in the near future, a source familiar told us.
• The two have been having private conversations since the summer about promoting life in America, including with anti-abortion rights leaders such as Robert P. George, Albert Mohler and Tony Perkins.

Zoom in: Abortion rights have won out in most of the cases in which they've been on the ballot since June 2022, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe.

Hawley is pushing a huge increase to the child tax credit, from $2,000 a year to $5,000, as we scooped last year.

• He also successfully urged Trump yesterday to pardon 23 anti-abortion rights activists who'd been convicted for blockading a clinic in Washington, D.C.

The bottom line: Majority Leader John Thune put an abortion bill — which would require that babies born alive after an attempted abortion receive medical care — on his early list of bills.

• Federal law already requires such protections, but the bill would stiffen penalties for providers who fail to provide care.
• Democrats blocked it on Wednesday from reaching the Senate floor.

Go deeper: Thune (video) and Johnson (video) both spoke at today's March for Life rally.

— Justin Green

How Vance saved Hegseth

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth won confirmation last night, thanks to tactical advice — and a tie-breaking vote — from Vice President Vance.

• Former Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) voted "nay," setting up the 50-50 tie.

Why it matters: Scandal doesn't stick to President Trump. The trait seems to be shared by at least the first of his most controversial Cabinet picks, who even Vance was counting out last month, Axios' Marc Caputo and Stef W. Kight report.

"Pete isn't 100% dead. But he might be 90% dead," Vance said at the start of December, according to a transition official who heard the remark.

• Trump was courting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as a possible replacement, and some GOP lawmakers thought Hegseth was going the way of former Rep. Matt Gaetz's nomination as attorney general.

👀 Behind the scenes: Trump told Hegseth to fight. Vance told the nominee to attack the allegations head-on and to get on TV.

• Don Jr. then rallied a network of online MAGA influencers to come to Hegseth's defense.
• Hegseth took the advice. He began his turnaround with a defiant televised gaggle with reporters on Dec. 5. Trump loved it.

Hegseth spent hours over the next several weeks meeting with Senate Republicans, and meeting with them again.

• He swore he wouldn't drink on the job. He said he did support women serving in the military, despite past comments to the contrary. He denied every allegation of sexual misconduct.

It wasn't enough to win over Sens. Susan Collins (R-Me.) or Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who cited many of the scandalous reports that plagued Hegseth's nomination as contributing to their "no" votes.

• It also failed to win over McConnell, who put out a long statement suggesting Hegseth isn't qualified.
• But Hegseth managed to keep support from other feared swing votes, including Sens. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Todd Young (R-Ind.) and John Curtis (R-Utah).

✋ What's next: Vance is expected to swear in the new SecDef at the White House this morning.

• Expected guests include Hegseth family & friends, his sherpa team and several GOP members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

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Senate confirms Noem as Trump’s homeland security secretary

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate confirmed Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary on Saturday, putting the South Dakota governor in charge of a sprawling agency that is essential to national security and President Donald Trump’s plans to clamp down on illegal immigration.

https://apnews.com/article/kristi-noem-border-trump-44925ad8670cd4ad57427513915bb140?

🥊 Scoop ... GOP's next border jab

The GOP is ready to force Democrats into another tough and divisive vote on immigration, just a week after Congress passed the Laken Riley Act.

• Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.) will reintroduce a bill tomorrow to impose harsher penalties on migrants who try to illegally recross into the U.S. after being removed, sources tell us.

Zoom in: The bill is sometimes called "Kate's Law," named after a 32-year-old woman killed on a San Francisco pier by an undocumented immigrant who had felony convictions and was removed from the U.S. five times.

• Committees in both chambers are expected to move fast on the legislation.
• Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) has already signed on.
• Majority Leader John Thune has yet to weigh in but has shown an eagerness to force Dems into tough votes — first on immigration and crime and next on ICC sanctions.

Between the lines: Senate Democrats are deadlocked over how to handle these tough votes.

• 46 House Democrats and 12 Senate Democrats voted with Republicans on the Laken Riley Act. It requires ICE to detain tens of thousands more undocumented immigrants charged or convicted of various crimes.
• A group of Democrats are pushing Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for a clear top-down strategy, as we first scooped.

Zoom in: The bill increases the fines and maximum prison sentences that migrants can face if they attempt to illegally cross the border after being removed or deported.

• A migrant who crosses more than once would face up to five years in prison, and one who attempts to cross illegally could face up to 10 years.
• The bill also requires a minimum of five years in prison for anyone who has multiple convictions or was convicted of an aggravated felony and then tries to illegally reenter the country.

— Stef Kight

🔥 Dems' trial by fire

Top House Democrats think President Trump broke the law when he fired 19 internal watchdogs last week. Now they're preparing to fight back.

Why it matters: The ousters — the legality of which have been questioned even by some Republicans — present the first major test of congressional Democrats' ability to counter Trump while in the minority.

• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has positioned himself as the new leader of the resistance.
• A spokesperson for Jeffries, asked for comment on the firings, referred to a letter from his committee ranking members blasting them as illegal.

What they're saying: "Everything is on the table at this point," House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) told us today.

• Oversight Committee ranking member Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) told us, "We can have minority witnesses at hearings, we can have our own independent roundtables, we can have minority reports."

Zoom in: Trump on Friday reportedly fired at least 12 inspectors general — with some reports putting the number at 18 and Connolly telling us he believes it's 19.

• IGs act as internal watchdogs within federal agencies charged with investigating corruption or misconduct.
• Trump often clashed with and ousted IGs during his first term, leading Congress to pass a law in 2022 requiring presidents to provide Congress with 30 days' notice and a "substantial rationale" for such firings.
• Several top lawmakers proposed bolstering the ousted inspectors general in an expected court battle against Trump.

The bottom line: Democrats are clear-eyed that the GOP ultimately holds the real tools — appropriations and subpoenas — for keeping the executive branch in check.

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Caroline Kennedy warns senators that cousin RFK Jr. is a ‘predator’

WASHINGTON (AP) — Calling Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a “predator” who is addicted to power, Caroline Kennedy urged the U.S. Senate in a Tuesday letter to reject the nomination of her cousin to be President Donald Trump’s health secretary.

https://apnews.com/article/caroline-robert-kennedy-trump-health-secretary-f01f58305eac53560e31c51aaee5f171?

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🚨Dems bite back

President Trump has helped Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries change the subject from their party's nasty internal feuds.

Why it matters: One week after the 2025 inauguration, it feels more like the winter of 2017.

• Democrats have flipped overnight from retreat to obstruction after Trump fired government watchdogs and froze (some) government spending.

They have no plans to stop unless or until Trump backs down.

• "This is about Trump wanting to seize control of everything," Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) told reporters today.

Zoom in: A coherent Democratic counteroffensive is starting to emerge.

• Make noise: Jeffries' messaging arm urged House Dems to hold press conferences and go live on social media. Schumer's Dems audibled today's press conference from Jan. 6 pardons to Trump's spending freeze.
• Block bills: Senate Dems filibustered a GOP bill sanctioning the International Criminal Court (ICC). Democrats were resigned yesterday that they'd be jammed on the bill. Now they know they can increase their negotiating position if they stay unified.
• Protest votes: Nearly two dozen Senate Democrats voted against Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy's confirmation, a day after the chamber voted unanimously to advance his nomination.
• Lawsuits: A federal judge blocked Trump's spending freeze plans this afternoon. But all day, Democrats decried Trump's move. The lawsuit will give them time to create a narrative about the real-world impact of the cuts. Meanwhile, GOP lawmakers will be hearing from their (potentially) angry constituents.

The bottom line: The all-day rage session was convenient for Schumer, who'd rather talk about Trump than a soon-to-be-open Michigan Senate seat. Gary Peters surprised the Hill today by announcing he won't run for reelection.

— Stephen Neukam, Andrew Solender and Hans Nichols

 

📢 Johnson's Latino strategy

House Speaker Mike Johnson is convinced his best path to avoiding a midterm rout runs through Texas' Rio Grande Valley and California's Central Valley.

• Why it matters: That means pumping real resources into a handful of predominantly Hispanic districts.

Behind the scenes: NRCC chair Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) and top House GOP super PAC president Chris Winkelman briefed lawmakers on their emerging strategy at the GOP retreat in Doral, Florida.

• This was the first time Hudson and Winkelman together laid out in detail their plans to pick up seats.
• They need both a strategy and the hard-money cash to execute it.

Zoom in: "We are going to defy the historic trend this time," Johnson told reporters tonight.

• "It's a very favorable map for us," he said.
• "House Republicans are already delivering for the American people and have more wins coming soon," Hudson told us.
• "This cycle, the NRCC will be on offense every single day, delivering our message and holding Democrats accountable for their out-of-touch votes," he said.

Zoom out: House Republicans are haunted by their last encounter with voters when they held both the House majority and the White House.

• In the 2018 midterms, Republicans lost 41 House seats and the speaker's gavel. Trump was then impeached twice by the new Democratic majority.
• The GOP plans to avoid the traditional curse by going on offense in seats that both Trump and Democrats won.

The bottom line: In the Rio Grande Valley, Republicans are targeting two Democrats in seats that have gotten redder. That's Reps. Henry Cuellar (Texas–28) and Vicente Gonzalez (Texas–34).

• In California's Central Valley, Republicans are eying Democratic Rep. Adam Gray (Calif.–13), in a district Trump narrowly won.
• They are also looking at Democratic Rep. Jim Costa (Calif.–21), who held a seat that Harris won, as a prime target.

— Hans Nichols

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🥊 GOP house divided

Republicans are "not that close" to a topline number on government spending, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) told us.

Why it matters: Republicans have staked out an extraordinarily ambitious timeline to cram through their agenda this year.

Lawmakers still have to ...

• Fund the government for the rest of this year by March 14, pass budget reconciliation shortly after, fund the government for next year by Sept. 30 and raise the debt ceiling by this summer.
• At some point, they'll need to also handle disaster relief and some GOP pet projects.

Zoom in: In the House, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) doesn't think it's a good idea to force a big appropriations package right before Republicans have to rally to pass top Trump's priorities through reconciliation.

• He's pushing a short-term spending stopgap, he told Punchbowl News.

In the Senate, Collins is pushing against a long stopgap for different reasons.

• At today's weekly GOP lunch, she pointed out its impact on defense spending in particular, multiple sources told us.
• "Our leadership is pretty hostile to that idea," Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told us about a long-term continuing resolution. "But I don't know what they're going to do otherwise."

— Stef Kight and Stephen Neukam

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🏛️ RFK's dueling personas take center stage

Photo illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photos: Getty Images

The success of RFK Jr.'s two-day Senate confirmation hearings (Finance Committee today, Health Committee tomorrow) "kind of depends on which Bobby Kennedy shows up," as one Trump administration source working on his nomination put it. Why it matters: Kennedy's confirmation as HHS secretary likely hinges on his ability to convince a handful of Republican senators that he's not the version of himself that was on public display only a few months ago, Axios' Caitlin Owens writes. 🖼️ The big picture: The Kennedy that made his fame around challenging the safety of vaccines and embracing other positions well outside the GOP mainstream has largely disappeared from public view since President Trump nominated him in mid-November, replaced by a more buttoned-down persona. "He's got to have a good hearing, address some of the concerns we all know, like vaccine, couple other things like that," Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told reporters this week. More on the hearings ... ps:Another genius pick!! Robert F. Kennedy Jr. struggles to answer questions on Medicare and Medicaid at confirmation hearing WASHINGTON (AP) — In a contentious confirmation hearing to become the nation’s top health official, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. struggled to answer questions about Medicare and Medicaid, programs that affect tens of millions of Americans, or to provide details about how he would work to drive down health care costs. https://apnews.com/article/rfk-jr-nomination-when-where-to-watch-dacfabb9a43efac93bab058ad6a327d9? Medicaid, measles and mifepristone: 5 big moments from RFK Jr.'s Senate hearing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. attempted to walk back his past anti-vaccine and pro-abortion rights stances in his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday as he fielded questions from both sides of the aisle. https://www.axios.com/2025/01/29/rfk-jrs-senate-hearing-vaccines-abortion?

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🔫 Thune's "trigger"

Surprise! Senate Majority Leader John Thune says his chamber is "ready to go" on reconciliation if the House can't get one bill across the line.

• "[T]here's a point at which we will decide to pull the trigger," Thune told Jordain Carney of Politico.

Why it matters: House Speaker Mike Johnson has tried to steamroll the Senate in the one-bill vs. two-bill debate.

• Thune's making it clear that if Johnson doesn't get moving, the Senate can go first.
• If the Senate takes the lead, they'll pass a smaller bill that handles border, defense and energy policy, leaving taxes for later this year.

😈 Johnson's temptation

Speaking of Johnson: House Republicans are exploring the use of alternative math on the Trump tax cuts.

Why it matters: Depending on the accounting standard, the cost of extending Trump's signature Tax Cut and Jobs Act for 10 years could be $4.6 trillion ... or $0.

• Multiple standards will give House Republicans flexibility to tell their constituents how much the proposed tax cuts are going to cost.
• Their Senate colleagues have already bought in, as we told you earlier this month.

Zoom in: "There could be different assumptions that we can look at, all of which have to be defensible, credible, doable," House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) told us.

• "I think that's a healthy thing, especially when assumptions from the government scorekeepers have been so off in the past in this regard."

Between the lines: Republicans — and Democrats when in power — have long criticized how the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation score the costs of a given tax cut.

• But Republicans want to add another wrinkle by saying it would cost zero dollars to extend current policy, instead of $4.6 trillion to renew the cuts that are set to expire.
• Republicans are in talks with the House parliamentarian to see how many different kinds of scores they can have for each bill.

The bottom line: The deficit to GDP ratio is harder to fudge.

— Hans Nichols

🚨 Tulsi alert

Thune delivered a subtle warning to the Trump transition today, saying he "can't see" Tulsi Gabbard's nomination being advanced to the Senate floor if she doesn't win her committee vote.

• "[T]he committee would have to vote to bring her to the floor without recommendation," he told reporters. "I can't see them doing that if they vote her down."
• Gabbard's confirmation hearing for director of national intelligence is tomorrow.

The bottom line: This would give Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Todd Young of Indiana, two swing vote Republicans who sit on Senate Intel, an effective veto on Gabbard's confirmation.

💪 Scoop: Hawley's big swing

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) is aiming to be the first Republican in decades to sponsor major, pro-union labor reform.

Why it matters: GOP leaders see an opportunity for a new, working-class coalition, which includes more union outreach.

• It's a major shift, and fault lines are already forming over Trump's pro-labor Cabinet nominee, former Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

Zoom in: Hawley has been quietly circulating draft legislation that would prevent employers from stalling union contract negotiations — keeping the process to months, not years, according to a copy we obtained.

• Hawley is looking for a Democratic co-sponsor.
• The senator pitched his bill at a dinner last night with Teamsters president Sean O'Brien and a small group of Republican senators — Roger Marshall of Kansas, Jim Banks of Indiana and Ohio's Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted, sources familiar said.

— Stef Kight

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RFK Jr. hearing

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, was grilled over his views on vaccines, abortion and health care finance during his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday. After addressing a multitude of additional issues, such as his views on Covid-19, chronic diseases and autism, he was further questioned on his financial interests and shifting stances regarding public health. Throughout the hearing, Democrats repeatedly asked Kennedy to make commitments that he would not purge employees for political reasons or use his perch to personally benefit financially — without getting clear answers. He is set to face more questions at a hearing before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions later today.

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Trump’s FBI chief pick, Kash Patel, insists he has no ‘enemies list’ and won’t seek retribution

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kash Patel, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the FBI, insisted to deeply skeptical Democrats on Thursday that he did not have an “enemies list” and that the bureau under his leadership would not seek retribution against the president’s adversaries or launch investigations for political purposes.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-fbi-patel-senate-f3465219e265df1598e15da3ad0e8a07?

Kash Patel distances himself from Trump's Jan. 6 pardons

FBI director nominee Kash Patel on Thursday split with President Trump over his blanket pardon of Jan. 6 rioters, telling lawmakers he rejects any violence against law enforcement.

https://www.axios.com/2025/01/30/kash-patel-fbi-senate-trump-jan-6-pardons?

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🔥 Scoop ... Dem rescue squad

New DSCC chair Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has been privately indicating she's prepared to intervene in contested primaries.

Why it matters: Senate Dems want to avoid the GOP's Obama-era pain of watching preferred candidates lose primaries to unelectable newcomers.

• Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer know their ability to claw their way back to the majority starts with candidates who are built for the general election.
• The top target: Getting the right candidates in three of the most competitive races of the 2026 cycle — Maine, North Carolina and now Michigan.

Zoom in: At a private DSCC fundraiser last night, Gillibrand told donors that Roy Cooper, the former North Carolina governor, would be a "formidable candidate," according to people familiar with the matter.

• Cooper has yet to decide whether to run, but he's clearly indicated he's considering it and used his farewell address to say, "I am not done."
• A big announcement from Cooper would help offset fears of losing other seats — especially if Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.) decides to challenge Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.).

Democrats were stunned by Sen. Gary Peters' (D-Mich.) surprise announcement he won't seek a third term, opening a primary they thought would be closed.

• Reps. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) and Hillary Scholten (D-Mich.) are both mulling primary bids. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the current Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist are also taking a look.

The bottom line: In these MAGA times, the NRSC is typically left with whatever candidate President Trump endorses.

• Schumer and Gillibrand don't have that kind of power, but they clearly want to avoid intra-party fights and save their resources for the general election.

— Stephen Neukam and Hans Nichols

Hill freezes DeepSeek

Congressional offices are being warned not to use DeepSeek, an upstart Chinese AI that is roiling the American market.

Why it matters: Congress has struggled to navigate the security and administrative challenges posed by the rapid advancement of AI technology.

• "At this time, DeepSeek is under review by the CAO and is currently unauthorized for official House use," the House's chief administrative officer said in a notice to congressional offices.
• The notice warned that "threat actors are already exploiting DeepSeek to deliver malicious software and infect devices."

— Andrew Solender

👀 Trump's Senate blockers

Chart: Axios Visuals RFK Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard will have to sweat their confirmations over the weekend, based on what GOP senators said at hearings the past two days. Why it matters: Republicans with choice committee seats can blow up confirmations before they reach the Senate floor. Any GOP "no" vote means the nominee won't get the committee's recommendation. No recommendation = no floor vote, or at least a very unlikely one, as Majority Leader John Thune said yesterday. Senate Finance, which votes on Kennedy for secretary of Health and Human Services: Bill Cassidy (R-La.) told RFK Jr.: "I've been struggling with your nomination" and "you may be hearing from me over the weekend." Cassidy questioned Kennedy about vaccines at today's HELP Committee hearing and has a vote on the Finance Committee. Senate Intel, which votes on Gabbard for director of national intelligence: Susan Collins (R-Maine) asked Gabbard if she'd seek a pardon or commutation for Edward Snowden. Gabbard said no to both. "I was happy with her responses to my questions," Collins told reporters tonight, per CNN. Todd Young (R-Ind.) told Gabbard, "It would befit you and be helpful for the way you're perceived by members of the Intelligence Committee" to say Snowden harmed national security. Gabbard repeatedly refused to call Snowden a traitor at the hearing. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) offended Gabbard by saying he wanted to be sure Russia doesn't "get a pass in either your mind or your heart." John Cornyn (R-Texas) could not get a direct answer from Gabbard on whether warrants should be required for wiretaps under Section 702 of FISA. The bottom line: Even senators who support Gabbard were taken aback by her Snowden answers. "I think there are a lot of questions after," Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) told reporters. "I thought that was going to be an easy softball question." — Justin Green Dems hit home A nonprofit tied to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is already planning an ad slamming the Trump administration's funding freeze. Why it matters: Jeffries sees the days-long battle over the freeze as a win for Democrats. He's urging his members to keep hammering the topic. "Trump's grabbing that money to pay back his billionaires with more tax cuts," House Majority Forward says in an ad called "Real Steal" that'll run on national cable Monday, including Fox News. "It's … The Real Steal." The other side: "Democrats are spewing lies — it's sad and pathetic. They've learned nothing from the 2024 election," said Torunn Sinclair, a spokesperson for the House GOP-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund. "No amount of fearmongering and falsehoods in this baseless ad will change the excitement the American people feel now that we have true leadership here in the White House," a senior White House official said in a statement to us. — Andrew Solender

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Confirmation hearings

Three of President Donald Trump's most controversial picks for his Cabinet and key administration roles were grilled during Senate hearings on Thursday. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel faced sharp questions from Democrats and several Republican lawmakers in what amounted to the most direct skepticism from GOP senators over Trump's nominees to date. Vice President JD Vance expressed confidence the three nominees will ultimately be confirmed, though he stressed that securing their approval will require significant effort. If all Democrats oppose Trump's nominees, they can only afford to lose three GOP senators on the floor to win confirmation.

 

Conspiracies, espionage, an enemies list: Takeaways from a wild day of confirmation hearings Conspiracy theories about vaccines. Secret meetings with dictators. An enemies list. President Donald Trump’ s most controversial Cabinet nominees — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Tulsi Gabbard and Kash Patel — flooded the zone Thursday in back-to-back-to-back confirmation hearings that were like nothing the Senate has seen in modern memory. Read more.

Key points: Gabbard is seen as the most endangered of Trump’s picks, potentially lacking the votes even from Trump’s party for confirmation for director of National Intelligence. But her hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee offered a roadmap toward confirmation.   What skeptical Democratic senators have been driving at is whether Kennedy is trustworthy — if he holds fast to his past views or has shifted to new ones — echoing concerns raised by his cousin Caroline Kennedy that he is a charismatic “predator” hungry for power.   Patel emerged as perhaps the most combative nominee in a testy hearing as the nominee to lead the FBI. Confronted with his own past words, writings and public comments, Patel protested repeatedly that his views were being taken out of context as “unfair” smears.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Senate confirms Doug Burgum as interior secretary after Trump tasked him to boost drilling   Trump says tariffs on Canada and Mexico coming Saturday   US aid agency is in upheaval during foreign assistance freeze and staff departures   Air Force deportation flight skirts Mexican airspace to Guatemala as military’s border role grows   Panama’s president says there will be no negotiation about ownership of canal   Judge extends court-monitoring agreement for children in Customs and Border Protection custody   Some hospitals pause gender-affirming care to evaluate Trump’s executive order   US cybersecurity agency’s future role in elections remains murky under the Trump administration   FBI wrestles with a spike in sexual misconduct claims and male-dominated culture   A US appeals court says banning gun sales to young adults under 21 is unconstitutional   Conservative Wisconsin Supreme Court justice steps aside in pivotal union rights case   FACT FOCUS: No evidence that $50 million was designated by the US to buy condoms for Hamas   ‘Remarkably poor judgment': Wall Street Journal takes a critical eye to start of Trump’s 2nd term   The DNC’s outgoing chair says Democrats should have stuck with Joe Biden in 2024

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😖 Trump makes Senate squirm

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

Senate Republicans are holding their breath over President Trump's tariffs, which kick in tomorrow against Canada, Mexico and China. Why it matters: Many senators spent months telling us they saw the move from Trump more as a negotiating tactic. But some were concerned about what would happen if he followed through. 🚨 Now, sweeping 25% tariffs start this weekend on Canadian and Mexican imports — and 10% on Chinese goods, the White House said today. All three countries have vowed to retaliate against broad tariffs. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told us in August that "across-the-board tariffs is not something I have been for in the past." Thune is open to the selective use of tariffs. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) described Trump's tariffs promises as potentially "problematic." Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), a former Senate Commerce Committee chair, also told us in August he's listening, but "not convinced that's the best approach." Between the lines: Senators often cite concerns about tariffs leading to inflated prices for Americans — after a campaign cycle where Republicans repeatedly said former President Biden's policies led to inflation. Zoom in: More tenured senators, especially free traders, have learned the value of waiting instead of staking out positions Trump can upend at any moment. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is taking a "wait-and-see attitude," he told Reuters. Iowa is a big farm goods exporter. "Normally I'd be stronger in my comments because I am a free trader. I used to be in the majority when free trading was a majority of the Congress, but now I am in the minority," he said. 😈 The newer senators are on Trump's side, and they're content to let him cook. (See our Jim Banks item below). "Everybody runs through the streets saying, 'The sky is falling! The sky is falling!' but it doesn't fall," Sen. Jim Justice (R-W.V.) told Reuters. Zoom out: The list of surprised leaders stretches beyond the Senate. "I don't believe that will happen," House Speaker Mike Johnson said earlier this week about across-the-board tariffs. — Stef Kight, Justin Green and Hans Nichols 🔮 Freshman wish list: Jim Banks Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) sees himself as part of the "new right" that's transforming Congress, and Vice President Vance as the party's future. "He's got four years to learn from the best president that we've had in modern times. And he'll be ready to go," Banks told us in an interview. Why it matters: Banks doesn't tiptoe around Trump. He's been solidly in line on tariffs, using the military to address immigration and backing Pete Hegseth, whose confirmation drama Banks described as "disappointing." Banks, 45, has currency with Trump's orbit and deep experience from his House tenure. "I'm younger than most senators," Banks told us. "I want to be a leader in the new Republican Party and paving the way forward beyond — even beyond President Trump." What he's saying: Banks said he has long believed in marrying "the party of Reagan with the party of Trump, traditional conservatism with populism." "The old-school Republican Party has quickly faded away," Banks said. Banks was ahead of the curve, writing a 2021 memo about needing to win over the working class. Now he's hoping the GOP capitalizes on their new working-class coalition moving forward. "Democrats are running scared," he said, pointing to Sen. Gary Peters' (D-Mich.) surprise retirement. Zoom in: Banks, who voted for the 2017 Trump tax cuts as a House lawmaker, thinks it was a "big mistake" to "overemphasize corporate tax rates over tax cuts on families and small businesses." He wants Republicans to put more focus this time on helping working-class Americans. Now in the Senate, Banks has already introduced four pieces of legislation. Two are border and immigration related. One would ensure qualified immunity for police, and another designates fentanyl as a chemical and biological weapon that can be used to sanction Chinese officials. — Stef Kight

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🔎 MAGA machine mobilizes to save Gabbard

President Trump and allies —including the online right, Vice President Vance and Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) — are mobilizing to try to boost Tulsi Gabbard's nomination as director of national intelligence, Axios' Marc Caputo and Alex Isenstadt report.

Why it matters: The MAGA machine that helped Pete Hegseth narrowly win confirmation as SecDef has now moved to Gabbard. Trump's team believes she faces the most headwinds of any of his current Cabinet nominees.

• "We feel OK about Tulsi's chances," one senior White House official told Axios. "But we want to feel better."

📞 State of play: Trump plans to start making calls to Republican senators on the Intelligence Committee, where Gabbard faced tough questions Thursday about her past views questioning surveillance tactics and defending Edward Snowden.

• Losing just one GOP vote on the committee — which includes nine Republicans and eight Democrats — could sink her confirmation.
• Gabbard refused to call Snowden a "traitor" for leaking secret intelligence documents before ending up in Russia. That appeared to bother Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), whom Trump's team is most worried about.
• But Gabbard seemed to please another swing-vote Republican, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, by saying she wouldn't ask Trump to pardon Snowden. Collins' reaction was a relief to Trump's team.

👀 If that sounded like a deal in the making, Trump's team wasn't ruling it out.

• "The president isn't really talking about pardoning Snowden, but if that's a guarantee they want to get Tulsi confirmed, the president will have those conversations," the White House adviser said.

🏛️ Behind the scenes: Vance has been Trump's go-to representative to the Senate for all of his prominent nominees, including Gabbard.

• Cotton, chair of Senate Intelligence and a friend of Gabbard's from their House days, committed to getting Gabbard the votes she needed.
• The Senate Republican Conference, also led by Cotton, has turned its X page into a pro-Gabbard "war room," an operative involved in the process noted.

Many MAGA diehards outside of the administration also are all-in on Gabbard because they see her and HHS nominee RFK Jr. as representing how Trump is growing his coalition beyond the GOP.

• "I think they are severely underestimating the backlash that would occur from our voters if either of them were blocked from being confirmed," Donald Trump Jr. told Axios.

👓 What to watch: Trump has been in a feud with the U.S. intelligence community since his first administration. He sees Gabbard — a former Democratic House member from Hawaii with similar disdain for the so-called "Deep State" — as a disruptor and change agent.

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Pro-RFK Jr. letter to the Senate includes names of doctors whose licenses were revoked or suspended

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A letter submitted to the U.S. Senate that states it was sent by physicians in support of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination as secretary of Health and Human Services includes the names of doctors who have had their licenses revoked, suspended or faced other discipline, The Associated Press has found.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-cabinet-kennedy-health-secretary-doctors-vaccines-a3dc5bdb0be5da29dccaef91c19c9ce4?

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Threats against members of Congress spiked in 2024

Threats against members of Congress skyrocketed in 2024, marking a return to levels not seen since the year after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, according to new Capitol Police data.

https://www.axios.com/2025/02/03/threats-members-congress-capitol-police-2024?

Threats against Congress near 2021 levels

Data: Capitol Police; Chart: Axios Visuals The U.S. Capitol Police opened nearly as many probes into threats against Congress last year as it did in 2021, the year of the Jan. 6 insurrection. Share this story — Andrew Solender

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🎪 Dems' Trump spectacles

Feeding off grassroots outrage, Democrats are flashing anger and making spectacles to show they're doing something about President Trump and Elon Musk's stunning moves to reshape the federal government.

Why it matters: Democrats aren't OK waiting for the usual checks and balances to play out in D.C.

• "No one f***ing cares about that," one senior House Democrat told us. "People want us to be doing more aggressive actions."
• "I totally understand the 'do something' voices but often they don't know the things we already are doing," Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) told us. "We need to do a better job showing them."

This list is just from today:

• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) unveiled a 10-part plan to counter Trump that includes using the federal funding process to thwart his efforts to "defund programs important to everyday Americans."
• Democrats will introduce a bill to prevent DOGE, Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, from accessing the Treasury Department's payment systems.
• A group of Democrats was denied entry to USAID headquarters after speaking to protesters outside the building.
• Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said he'll place "blanket holds" on Trump's State Department nominees until efforts to shutter USAID are ended.
• Democrats on the House Oversight Committee sent Trump a letter demanding a massive trove of documents on his efforts to reconfigure and slash the federal bureaucracy.
• Democrats on the House Natural Resources Committee urged chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) to probe Trump's inspectors general firings.
• House Democrats made an "unannounced visit" to an ICE detention center in New Jersey and questioned agents there.

Between the lines: The angry and outraged Democrats are now flirting with tactics they previously decried.

• Jeffries is warning that he'll use government funding – and the prospect of a shutdown – to stop Trump from gutting federal programs.
• Schatz putting a hold on all State Department to protest Trump's actions on USAID is an echo of Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) blocking military promotions to protest the Pentagon's abortion policy.

The bottom line: "We're going to use every legal, political and constitutional means at our disposal to stop this reign of terror targeting congressional programs and federal workers," Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said.

— Andrew Solender and Hans Nichols

Senate warns Trump, Musk

Senate appropriators are putting Trump and Musk on notice that their threats to rewire Washington will make it harder to fund the government programs the president does want.

Why it matters: Trump is a master at minting bargaining chips. But Senate appropriators know something about leverage.

• "It will have a hard impact on our ability to trust each other, because at the end of the day, the appropriations process begins and ends with a handshake," Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) told us.
• "What Trump is doing is reaching back to last year's approved appropriations and freezing them, pausing them, reshaping them. … If this president can do that, the next president can do that," Coons said.

The bottom line: March 14 is the deadline to avoid a government shutdown.

• "Every day that things are more confused around here and we are not working toward getting these appropriations bills done, we should be worried," Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) told us.
• "We need to be able to talk with our colleagues on the other side of the aisle. We need to talk with the House. We need to get our top lines."

— Hans Nichols

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🔮 Vibe shift on Tulsi

Director of National Intelligence nominee Tulsi Gabbard has wind in her sails ahead of tomorrow's Senate Intel vote.

• Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) announced her support today. She's a critical swing vote who worked against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
• That leaves Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) as the vote Gabbard allies are watching most carefully.

Between the lines: Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) — a close Trump ally who has been an advocate for nominees — told reporters he's feeling confident about Gabbard's chances. "Tulsi has done the work," he said.

• Senate Intel is set to vote tomorrow at 2pm ET on Gabbard's nomination.
• Conversations are ongoing between leadership and senators viewed as swing votes on both Gabbard and HHS nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

GOP leadership feels good that even the skeptics are still willing to engage.

• But Young and Cassidy were not eager to talk to about the upcoming votes when asked by reporters tonight.

The bottom line: "I think Todd [Young] is doing just what [Thom] Tillis did," Mullin added, referencing the North Carolina Republican's last-minute hesitancy before voting to confirm Hegseth.

— Stef Kight

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RFK Jr. appears on track to become US health secretary as he wins key Republican senator’s support

WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vocal vaccine skeptic and activist lawyer, appeared on track to become the nation’s health secretary after winning the crucial support of Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a doctor who says Kennedy has assured him he would not topple the nation’s childhood vaccination program.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-cabinet-kennedy-rfk-health-secretary-vote-842455e48b1f9b79fb2312937dff29f6?

ps:If he gets OK'd it will be just one more unqualified person in this administration!!!!!!!

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❌ Johnson bypass

Senate Republicans plan to tell President Trump this weekend that it's time to ditch House Speaker Mike Johnson's plan on reconciliation.

Why it matters: The House is blowing its own deadlines, and there's "an urgency to act and act now," Senate GOP Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) told us today in an exclusive interview.

• "It's now, Mr. President. It's time to move. We have this," Barrasso said of what he expects senators to tell Trump at Friday's Mar-a-Lago dinner.

🥊 Johnson doesn't agree: "The Senate will not take the lead," Johnson told reporters today, per Politico.

• "We're still working on that one big, beautiful bill," House Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) told reporters tonight, per Punchbowl.
• But the House can't agree on the numbers and had to punt on a markup of a budget resolution this week. Its members have serious ideological differences over the legislation.

⚡️ By contrast, Senate Budget Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) "has legislation ready to go," Barrasso said. The Senate plan would start with energy, border and national security issues — and do taxes later this year.

• Border czar Tom Homan told Barrasso he needs resources to continue what has been a startling crackdown on illegal immigration.

Zoom in: Dozens of Republican senators and their spouses are joining Trump on Friday. They'll be in town for the NRSC's weekend at The Breakers.

— Stef Kight

P.S. New NRSC chair Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) told the Senate GOP conference today that safe-seat incumbents shouldn't expect a bailout in 2026, we scooped this afternoon.

• "Put all the races away early that we can," Scott said. "We do not need to spend time and money in places where races should not be competitive."

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🔄 Inside Gabbard's comeback

Senate Intel Chair Tom Cotton found a surprise ally in former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) to help resuscitate Tulsi Gabbard's nomination.

• The former Democratic senator approached Cotton and was deployed to help sway Sens. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) into "yes" votes today, sources tell us.

Why it matters: Cotton, the hawkish Arkansan who is No. 3 in GOP leadership, worked all the angles on Gabbard.

• He worked with Vice President Vance — who's been a crucial influence on undecided senators — Trump adviser Jason Miller and others on Gabbard's team. Cotton told Trump last year he could get Gabbard confirmed, Semafor's Burgess Everett first reported tonight.
• Cotton leaned hard on the White House to persuade, not pressure, arguing that an overly combative approach could be counterproductive for people like Young. (That didn't stop MAGA posters from trying over the weekend.)
• Cotton tapped former NSA adviser Robert O'Brien to whip other members of the committee.

Inside the room: Cotton, Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and former Intel Chair Richard Burr (R-N.C.) huddled with Gabbard for over an hour ahead of last week's committee hearing trying to make sure concerns were addressed.

• Gabbard's hearing was anything but smooth, clearly frustrating Republicans who wanted to hear her call Edward Snowden a traitor.
• But she still won the Senate Intel Committee's recommendation on a party-line vote.

Zoom in: Cotton worked closely alongside Vance, the White House legislative affairs office and Gabbard's sherpas, keeping the White House updated on the status of the nomination.

• As chair of the Senate Republican Conference, Cotton transformed the office — and its X account — into a war room for Gabbard.
• He dove into details too, helping Gabbard fill out required questionnaires and prepare for her high-stakes hearing. When Gabbard made a helpful comment during her closed-door prep, Cotton encouraged her team to get it out there, resulting in a Newsweek op-ed.

The bottom line: There still could be other no votes in the Senate, most notably GOP Sens. John Curtis of Utah, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

• But Senate GOP leadership and the White House feel confident with Young on board that Gabbard will be confirmed.

— Stef Kight

Dems plot Trump revenge

Incensed Democrats are eyeing a wide-scale blockade of nominees that lasts far beyond the confirmation hearings for the boldfaced names in Trump's Cabinet.

Why it matters: Majority Leader John Thune is making fast work of Trump nominees. But more than 1,100 administration roles require Senate confirmation.

• Democrats could force him to burn tons of floor time if he has to confirm them one by one instead of in big batches via unanimous consent.

NEWS: Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is prepared to block Trump nominees through multiple committees, we scooped today.

• Senate Democrats are proceeding as if there is a blanket hold on Trump nominations, Blumenthal said.
• That's an escalation from the blockade Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) placed on Trump's State Department nominees this week as retaliation for Trump and Elon Musk's bulldozing of USAID.

The bottom line: The longer Democrats stick to a blanket hold on nominations, the more they can make it hurt for Thune.

— Stephen Neukam

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📈 Making Banking Even More Expensive Again. The House GOP is convening a hearing today on proposed legislation to roll back rules preventing banks from fleecing you on overdraft fees. They’re calling it “Make Community Banking Great Again.” Guess Jamie Dimon won’t need that knife after all.

 

The Odd Couple Vs. Big Credit Card. Credit card companies have almost doubled interest rates in the last decade, saddling Americans with a whopping $1.1 trillion in debt. New legislation introduced yesterday by frenemies Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) would cap credit card rates at 10 percent — a significant reprieve from the 28 percent national average.

To add to this political fever dream, Sanders and Hawley have the presumed support of Trump, who originally floated the 10 percent cap at a campaign rally last September. This actually isn’t the first time Hawley and Sanders have teamed up — their 2020 bipartisan show of force set the stage for the second round of pandemic stimulus checks.

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Dems vs. the Resistance

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios Frustration is mounting in the House Democratic caucus with the Resistance, as lawmakers are getting pounded by voters demanding immediate and often-impossible results. Why it matters: The challenge for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is to convince voters he has the power to stop President Trump when, in reality, he can only protest against him. "You are literally calling the wrong people," one House Dem told us, referring to the flood of incoming voter calls. "I can't recall ever receiving this many calls. People disgusted with what's going on, and they want us to fight back," Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) told us. He's served in Congress since 1997. Between the lines: Progressive groups say members should expect to keep getting an earful. "[T]his won't be the last any office hears from everyday Americans who want us to fight harder to push back against what Trump, Musk and Republicans are doing," MoveOn spokesperson Britt Jacovich told us. "I think people are scared and are looking for leadership from Democrats on how to fight back," Indivisible spokesperson Mary Small told us. Zoom in: Jeffries has vowed to use a March 14 federal funding deadline as leverage to protect key programs. But Trump and Musk are moving at a lightning pace. A pair of House Dems — Gwen Moore of Wisconsin and Judy Chu of California — showed up uninvited today to House Speaker Mike Johnson's office to elbow into his meeting with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) said today he already plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Trump. It won't go anywhere. Democratic committee leaders have also sent Trump and his administration a flurry of letters demanding information on DOGE's tactics. The bottom line: Democrats' letters are little more than paper if Trump chooses to ignore them — only the majority has the power to issue subpoenas. "I think there is this sense that we have legislative power, and we don't," said the House Democrat who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "We are in the minority, and that makes it difficult for us to respond," former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told us. — Andrew Solender

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🚨 Johnson under siege

Two deadlines are threatening to scuttle Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) precious plan for one, big budget bill.

Why it matters: Trump's Friday night dinner with senators at Mar-a-Lago is the soft deadline. Sen. Lindsey Graham's (R-S.C.) plan to move his own bill next week is the hard one.

• Miss the first deadline, House Republicans fear, and the Senate will exploit their quality time with Trump to convince him of their two-bill approach.
• Blow past the second one, and the Senate will be firmly in control of the process.
• There's a real risk that "we're going to get jammed by the Senate," Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) told us today at an Axios News Shapers event.

Between the lines: "I'm going to talk to Lindsey. He's a good friend. And he has to understand the reality of the House," Johnson told reporters today.

• Bessent paid his first official visit to Johnson this afternoon, huddling with Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.) on the best way to turn the president's campaign promises into reality.
• Republicans later went to the White House to applaud Trump for signing an executive order to ban transgender girls and women from female sports.
• Some members were hopeful that Trump might be able to use a pull-aside meeting to help grease a deal, but they returned to the Capitol empty-handed.

The intrigue: Graham didn't provide a specific day for his budget committee markup next week. That gives Johnson and Co. a little more flexibility.

• Some Republicans are privately discussing the prospect of voting against the Senate budget resolution if they send one over before the House reaches a compromise.
• That would add another dimension of dysfunction and call into question Congress' ability to pass any of Trump's agenda with both chambers' thin margins.

The bottom line: The House Budget Committee remains at an impasse with Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) unable to pass a resolution out of his panel.

• "I don't believe we're going to take the vote on the budget resolution this week," McClain predicted.

— Hans Nichols and Erin Doherty

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🔥 Trump burns Senate bridges

Some Senate Democrats are backing away from their offers to work with Republicans on a bipartisan border package.

• Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) told us today that Trump has made it "really unlikely" for a bipartisan deal to happen. A month ago, Coons signed a letter with 11 other Democrats telling GOP leaders they wanted to partner on a border bill.
• "How good are deals if we can't trust that the president is going to abide by them?" Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) told us.
• Retiring Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), also on the letter, said Republicans have rejected a bipartisan solution.

The bottom line: The GOP plans to take its biggest border swings in the reconciliation package. But it'll need at least seven Senate Democrats to get other packages over the line.

— Stephen Neukam

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Johnson pleads for time

House GOP leaders told White House officials today they need another 24 hours on reconciliation, pleading for the Senate to let them figure it out.

Why it matters: After a four-plus-hour meeting in the White House, Speaker Mike Johnson returned to the Capitol and said they were "close" to an agreement.

• "I think probably by tonight we wrap it," he said.

Vice President Vance was in the room for the first part of the meeting, while President Trump was in and out after it became clear the meeting would be a marathon.

• They wrapped in the Oval Office, where the president gave the lawmakers pens and coins.
• Trump told the Republicans to "figure out" how to make his 2017 tax cuts permanent.

Zoom in: Johnson's optimism was publicly shared by other leaders who attended the meeting, including House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) and Budget Chair Jodey Arrington (R-Texas).

• "Today was big," Arrington told reporters.
• "It was pretty intense. The heat was on medium the whole time," House GOP Conference Chair Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) told us.

Reality check: Lawmakers didn't share any details of the kind of progress they made.

• It's unclear if they made any headway on the yawning gap in how much spending they should cut, which ranges from $500 billion to $2 trillion.

Driving the news: In addition to his campaign promises, like "no taxes on tips," Trump dug up some provisions he didn't dwell on during the campaign, like ending tax breaks for sports teams and treating so-called "carried interest" as regular income, as we scooped this afternoon.

• The private equity industry responded quickly. "President Trump's historic [2017] law struck the right balance on carried interest and encouraged local investment, innovation and economic growth," said Drew Maloney, president and CEO of the American Investment Council.

Zoom out: Since Monday, House lawmakers have been acutely aware they have until tomorrow night to convince Trump their one-bill approach can carry his legislative priorities. That's when the Senate GOP will be dining at Mar-a-Lago.

• Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) upped the pressure yesterday by telling his colleagues that he'd move his budget reconciliation package next week.

The intrigue: Johnson and Arrington had different responses to the Senate's implicit threat.

• "Our message to our friends and colleagues in the Senate is, allow the House to do its work," Johnson told reporters.
• "We know that they're ready to go at any time," Arrington said. "That's a healthy push for the process on our end."

— Hans Nichols and Marc Caputo

🔥 Musk blowback

House Democratic centrists feel burned by the shock and awe tactics of Elon Musk's DOGE team, telling us the GOP will regret it sooner rather than later.

Why it matters: These Democrats were singing a very different tune before Trump's inauguration.

• Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.), one of a handful of Democrats in the GOP-led DOGE Caucus, told us Musk is "forcing" Democrats into a position of opposing the administration. "It appears Elon ... thinks he can do this all himself."
• Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), one of the most centrist Democrats in Congress, praised Trump's tariffs but added his constituents "voted for Donald Trump, not Elon Musk."
• Golden said of Musk: "If I had a staffer like that, I'd probably fire him."

— Andrew Solender

📸 Bibi's Senate pitch

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu privately pitched top senators today on a plan to end the war in Gaza — including the possibility of Trump's "Gaza takeover," sources tell us.

• Exile for Hamas leaders could open the door for a day-after plan, Netanyahu told the group, which included GOP leader John Thune and Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.

Why it matters: Democratic lawmakers this week were shocked by Trump's idea of U.S. control over Gaza, while top Republicans seemed more willing to engage with the idea.

• A senior Senate Democrat, granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said stakeholders in the Middle East have always indicated that an independent Palestinian state is a requirement for them to help rebuild Gaza.

— Stephen Neukam

Go deeper ... Trump's plan to "take over" Gaza sparks GOP groans